Last year (2012), Thai people were shocked to the TV news.. Jason Young, a popular/handsome Thai movie star, was ordained as a monk!!

Jason was born on 31 January 2523, He's half Thai/half Australian and he's a Buddhist. He chose his career as a singer/actor/model in Thailand.... he was also a former soccer player of the Ganges River with Lily. He had graduated with a degree in film and television production from Columbia College-Hollywood, USA.

Later at age 32, he got engaged with Darika Jagota, a rich young lady who is half Thai/half Indian(also a devoted Buddhist). After engagement, Jason told his fiance he wanted to become a monk for 1 month on behalf of his parents(passed away). He chose to be ordained at Wat Dhamm-Mongkol, Bangkok where his mother used to take him to do merits quite often since he was 13 yrs old. After ordination, he went to practice meditation at a wat in Chiang-Mai, then he heard the news that Thera Viriyang(the last follower of Thera Mun Bhuridhatto) came back(from Canada) to Wat Dhamm-Mongkol. He hurried back to Bangkok to meet the thera. After practice meditation with this super-Thera, he decided to keep on being a monk indefinitely. His fiance ended their engagement so Bhikkhu Jason Piyajaro didn't have to worry about love affair anymore..she supported Bhikkhu Jason wholeheartedly!

Right now Bhikkhu Jason is at Wat Rajadhamm-Viriyaram, Edmonton, Canada.

NOTE: Many years ago, while in Vancouver, Canada ...Thera Viriyang saw a big piece of jade in his samadhi. After digging the place, found a 2 ton piece of green jade..the Thera got a Thai artist to carve it into a big beautiful Buddha statue.

If you think money is everything what would you say about this man... He is the only son of Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan (second richest man in Malaysia & Southeast Asia and 89th in the world, according to Forbes.). His mother is Thai, he graduated from a university in England, he can speak 8 languages.

When he was 13 yrs old, he went with a friend who wanted to learn to chant a long Phra-Gatha with Thera Kongma Jirapunyo(An important ariya-disciple of Thera Mun Bhuridattao). He waited patiently from 8 PM till midnight, unable to walk back home alone because the temple was quite remote. He said to himself over and over that he would never come here again, suddenly he felt so light as if he was invisible, then he saw himself as 2 bodies...one body walked away to the front of the temple. He felt so peaceful that he said out loud " Oh, how wonderful is this spiritual power !". And his new body walked right back to his original body.

When his friend and Thera Kongma (พระอาจารย์กงมา) came back to meet him. Thera Kongma said that "this kid is strange, I didn't teach him to meditate yet, but he's quite good with it". Since that day, young Viriyang started to learn how to meditate properly....oh, how fast he could achieve in meditation!!

One day, Viriyang was sick and paralized, no doctors could help him. He was so sad that he prayed if someone could cure him, made him able to walk again, he would follow the Buddha's footstep...become a monk until the day he die. Days later, a man in white-robe came to his house, told his father that he could make Viriyang healthy and able to walk again. His dad was so excited, let the white-robe man meet his paralized-son. The holy-man whispered Viriyang to repeat what he promised to become a monk for the rest of his life. Viriyang was quite surprised how the holy-man knew about his prayer, he repeated his prayer-promise...and the holy-man rubbed his herb-medicine all over Viriyang's body...then the holy-man walked out and disappeared.

The next morning, Viriyang tried to get up and walked by himself, like a miracle happened..he could really walked! And he was so happy to see the holy-man again, standing at the front door with alms-bowl in his hands. Viriyang went to his kitchen to get some food..but when he wanted to put food in the holy-man's bowl. The holy-man asked Viriyang to repeat his prayer-promise again. After he repeated his prayer then the holy-man accepted his food and told Viriyang to meet him later, under the Tamarind tree at Wat Sawang-Arom. Viriyang did as he was told..he went to Wat Sawang-Arom, and the holy-man taught him a long-Gatha..said that Viriyang must recite this gatha everyday for 10 years to see the results. After that day, Viriyang never met the holy-man again..he disappeared for good!

Viriyang was ordained as a samanera when he was 15 yrs old, at Wat Suddha-jinda, Nakhon-Rajjasima. Then he went tudong with Thera Kongma into the forest, met a group of thieves..Thera Kongma preached to them about good and bad kammas, the thief-boss repented and became an upasaka observed 8 Precepts, tudonged with Thera Kongma and Samanera Viriyang until the day that he died while sitting meditation.

Samanera Viriyang was ordained as a bhikkhu at Wat Sai-Ngam, Chantha-Buri when he was 21 yrs old. He always tudonged with Thera Kongma to many places for 8 years. One day Thera Kongma took him to pay respect to Thera Mun Bhuridhatto...and Bhikkhu Viriyang became Thera Mun's attendant since that day. Years later, Thera Viriyang published the Dhamma that he learned from Thera Mun..this book "Muttothai" was quite popular/famous in Thailand ( my husband has this Muttothai Book).

Hi Tidathep, thanks for sharing the story. Do you know if this story was told by Viriyang? Also, I'm curious if you are from the Theravada tradition. I'm asking this because I have visited the Dhamma Wheel in the past and it seems to me that most of the posters there reject supernatural phenomenons, including rebirth.

bamboo wrote:Hi Tidathep, thanks for sharing the story. Do you know if this story was told by Viriyang? Also, I'm curious if you are from the Theravada tradition. I'm asking this because I have visited the Dhamma Wheel in the past and it seems to me that most of the posters there reject supernatural phenomenons, including rebirth.

-----------Sawaddee Ka ..Bamboo,

-This story is from the book "พระสุปฏิปัณโณ ที่ควรกราบไหว้ (Ariya-Monks)"posted in Thai by a monk @facebook...it is a very popular book in Thailand...I translated it into my broken English...

-I don't know what I am(Theravada), but I truly love ariya-monks..Thera Mun and all of his ariya-monks. I do believe in supernatural phenomenons, including rebirth. I read so much about monks who died temporary..went to heaven...backed to earth and still living again, monks who recalled their past lives etc.

- And I'm a big fan of Dhammapada/Jataka stories....I truly believe everything in Dhammapada/Jataka....if you read Dhammapada/Jataka stories that I posted...you would see that most stories were full of miracles...hard to believe ...BUT I DO.

Believe it or not...I strictly observe 5/8 Precepts ...because I really want to go to heaven!?yawares

Today I have an amazing story about the temple built by a Thai movie star, dedicated to Thera Toh Prommarangsi, the one who composed the famous Phra Katha Chinabunchorn[that I chant every day/night].

[Story/pictures by Eugene Tang]

The Largest Phra Somdej Toh Buddhacharn Phomarangsi (Phra Luang Phor Toh) Temple at Sikhiu (Nakhon Ratchasima)The largest temple in Nakhon Ratchasima dedicated to one of the most famous and beloved ancient monk in Thailand, Phra Somdej Toh Buddhacharn Phomarangsi (1788 – 1872). The temple enshrined the largest Phra Somdej Toh statue in Thailand and the project is sponsored by the famous Thai movie actor Sorapong Chatri. Having gained fame and fortune, he contributed his money to build this magnificient temple.

Located in Sikhiu, Nakhon Ratchasima, the temple has taken several years to build and is still under-construction. It is surrounded by Thai landscaped garden where orchids and red roses blooming profusely in every corners. The temple was very crowded and everyone was busy making their way to pay respect to Phra Luang Phor Toh in the main hall and some were waiting eagerly for a photo moment with the famous Thai actor or shopping for souvenir and amulets inside the temple.

Beside the main temple, there are many resting places and outdoor cafe for people to relax. It also provide free food and drink. Work is still in process and hopefully, with more donations from the general public will eventually complete the temple in the near future.

It may look like a temple or monastery, but it isn't. There are no monk here. It is a park, charity center, and a shrine dedicated to the super-famous ariya-monk "Luang Phor Toh". The effort to build this was lead by a famous Thai actor name Sorapong Chatri. From what I hear this temple and its landscape cost more than billion bahts.

It isn't done yet, but already looking impressive. This is about 45km before reaching Korat coming from Bangkok.

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Who is Phra Somdej Toh Buddhacharn Prommarangsi? Phra Somdej Toh was born in 17 April 1788 in Kamphaeng Phet Province, he was a son of King Rama I. He studied the Buddhist scriptures of the Pali Canon with several Buddhist masters. After becoming a well-known monk, he became the preceptor for Prince Mongkut, later became King Rama IV, when Mongkut became a king, Somdej Toh was given the ceremonial name Phra Buddhacharn Toh Prommarangsi.

Sometimes I'm confusing about relationship in heavens whenever I post a story that Sakka had many wives..and when 2 devas disputed about the beautiful devi-Rohini who was reborn in Tavatimsa World..the 2 devas wanted to have devi-Rohini for himself...had to ask Sakka to decide who should has devi-Rohini...Finally Sakka said that devi-Rohini should be his(Sakka's)...very funny.. but that what was in the story!!

I asked the Dhammapada expert, Dr.Han Tun(1 of my very best kalayanamittas)....and this is what he posted for me:

***************

In six deva realms there are males and females and there are husband and wife relationship.

It is explained that all gods and goddesses in this heaven are always in their youthful stage of life.No old age, sickness and disfigured parts of the body appear among them. Their foods are so subtlethat no excretions are produced from their bodies. Their birth in heaven is one of spontaneousuprising (opapaatika), i.e., the being born in heaven spontaneously appears as a young man or woman.

It should be mentioned here that not every god of this heaven has a palace or vimaana of his own.

Many gods were born here as personal attendants of other gods. It is said in the Paramatthajotikaa that if a new god or goddess is born on the lap of the owner of a palace, he or she will be regarded as the son or daughter of that god; if a goddess is born in his bed, she will be his wife; if a new god or goddess is born in the precinct of his palace, he or she will become his personal attendant. In some cases, if a new god or goddess is born in between the boundaries of two palaces, the owners of those palaces will try to possess that newcomer. If they cannot settle the dispute among themselves, they will approach King Sakka for necessary judgment. King Sakka will give his judgment according to the rules of heaven. According to the rules, if, at the beginning, a new god or goddess casts his or her eyes on any palace, he or she will be given to the owner of that palace, or otherwise he or she will be given to the owner of the palace which his or her birthplace is near. In some cases, the distance from the birthplace of the newcomer to both the palaces is equal and he or she does not particularly look at any palace. In a case such as this, King Sakka, in order to prevent a dispute among his citizens, will take for himself possession of the newcomer. His judgment is always deemed final in all cases. Here there is nothing to be said about the god who is born with his own vimaana, as he acquires an independent status from the beginning of his existence in the realm.

Dr.Han: Maybe, that is why many men want to be reborn as Sakka!

Yawares: Oh, I read that the great Upasika Visakha was reborn in Nimanarati Deva World as wife of Lord Sunimmanarati of the Fifth Heaven. And Upasika Sirima(attained Sotapatti Fruition) was reborn in Nimanarati World with her own bling-bling vimana !

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Dr.Han: But the life in Ruupa Brahma planes is different.

Life in the Brahma planes is subtler and happier than that of the sensual-plane heavens where sensual pleasures dominate. The differences between the beings in the sensual-plane and those in the Brahma planes are that the beings in the sensual-plane consist of two different sexes—male and female—while no differences in sex appear among the beings in the Brahma planes of form.

Happiness in the Brahma planes is without, and superior to, sexual delight. The reason for this is that the ruupaavacara beings' feeling of sensual pleasures in which sexual enjoyment plays the dominant role has been absolutely eliminated when they were human beings. This eventually leads to the disappearance of the sex organs since they haven't any function for the beings in these planes. It is said, however, that although the beings of the ruupaavacara heaven possess no sex, their physical appearance is of human male predominance.

" There are no ' born Buddhists.' Each person has to come to the Buddha's teachings themselves. I would go so far as to say that being born into a Buddhist culture can be a very effective means of adopting the cultural accretions and missing the true significance of things ".

greentara wrote:" There are no ' born Buddhists.' Each person has to come to the Buddha's teachings themselves. I would go so far as to say that being born into a Buddhist culture can be a very effective means of adopting the cultural accretions and missing the true significance of things ".

Ajahn Sumedho 'Afternoon Talks '.

------------Sawaddee Ka..Greentara,

What about Dalai Lamas??? Not born Buddhists????

[Wikipedia]

"Dalai" means "Ocean" in Mongolian, and "Lama" (bla ma) is the Tibetan equivalent of the Sanskrit word "guru", and is commonly translated to mean "spiritual teacher".[2] The actual title was first bestowed by the Mongolian ruler Altan Khan upon Sonam Gyatso in 1578. Gyatso was an abbot at the Drepung monastery who was widely considered the most eminent lama of his time. Although Sonam Gyatso became the first lama to hold the title "Dalai Lama", due to the fact that he was the third member of his lineage, he became known as the "3rd Dalai Lama". The previous two titles were conferred posthumously upon his earlier incarnations. Five Dalai Lamas were murdered by their Buddhist courtiers within 170 years.[3][unreliable source?]

The 5th Dalai Lama, with the support of Gushri Khan, a Mongol ruler of Khökh Nuur, united Tibet. The Dalai Lamas continued to partially rule in Tibet with, to some extent, autonomous power given by contemporary Chinese governments, until the People's Republic of China invaded the region in 1949 and then took full control in 1959. The 14th Dalai Lama then fled to India and has since ceded temporal power to an elected government-in-exile. The current 14th Dalai Lama seeks greater autonomy for Tibet.

Succession of reborn Dalai Lamas

The title "Dalai Lama" is presently granted to each of the spiritual leader's successive incarnations (for example, The 14th Dalai Lama's next incarnation will hold the title "the 15th Dalai Lama").

Upon the death of the Dalai Lama, his monks institute a search for the Lama's reincarnation, or yangsi (yang srid), a small child. Familiarity with the possessions of the previous Dalai Lama is considered the main sign of the reincarnation. The search for the reincarnation typically requires a few years. The reincarnation is then brought to Lhasa to be trained by the other Lamas.